Wednesday 1st July 2015

[LadyCentauria]

Morning all.

Laura McInerney has written a piece on the Education Bill.

http://schoolsweek.co.uk/5-things-bothe ... efinition/

3. Regional Schools Commissioners decide if a coasting school’s improvement plan is credible enough to save it from forced academy conversion. Regional Schools Commissioners are evaluated on the number of schools they turn into academies. HMMMM.

The public know that regional schools commissioners are evaluated in their job on the basis of how many schools they convert. They know this because we revealed it last year after a freedom of information request. But it raises a serious conflict of interest.


Asked about it today in the committee session, regional schools commissioner Tim Coulson admitted that performance indicators do change behaviour. (As the whole point of the coasting bill is to change school behaviour via indicators, he didn’t really have a choice). If true, why should we expect regional schools commissioners not to force a school to academise whenever they can?

The Regional Commissioners are being put in the same position as the Local Authorities were - that of champion of their schools and in charge of their oversight.

How can it be right that they have a performance measure which is about converting as many schools to academies as possible?

It cannot be right. On a slight aside: this Government has realised that the SoS cannot handle all the academies (and Free Schools?) that have already been created, so a sort of devolution has occurred with the creation of Regional Schools Commissioners. How long before they come to terms with the fact that each RegSchCom is overladen with responsibility for too large an area and that Local Schools Commissioners are needed? Or have I misremembered how large each 'Region' is to be and they already equate to one for each existing Local Authority area?

[RogerOThornhill]

It cannot be right. On a slight aside: this Government has realised that the SoS cannot handle all the academies (and Free Schools?) that have already been created, so a sort of devolution has occurred with the creation of Regional Schools Commissioners. How long before they come to terms with the fact that each RegSchCom is overladen with responsibility for too large an area and that Local Schools Commissioners are needed? Or have I misremembered how large each 'Region' is to be and they already equate to one for each existing Local Authority area?

The thing is that they cannot admit that they were ever wrong about something which is why the Regional Commissioners were created without fanfare, and I would imagine that if we ever have more of them, they'll suddenly appear.

No, their dual role of poacher and gamekeeper isn't right. I know that the new Select Committee chair wants their responsibilities clarified, and the old Committee said that it was clear that they were going to be over-stretched.

I found this article worrying...

https://educevery.wordpress.com/2015/06 ... governors/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It soon became clear that this is likely to mean the end of elected parent and staff governors and to local authority appointed governors. There is much soft soap about consultation and listening, but we know how this government really operates. The behind the scenes whispers are already emerging. The shift will be towards a business model of non- executives appointed because they have particular skills. The message is clearly that there should be more business governors and they should be focussed on things like financial management.

Put this alongside the Education and Adoption Bill with its insistence on academy status as the only way forward, then we begin to get a clear picture of how this government sees the place of schools in our society.

To them schools are clearly not meant, in any real sense, to be part of their local community. They’re put there and run by people appointed by the government. They don’t represent the community coming together to improve itself. Rather missionaries from on high will descend and give people what they think is good for them.

We already have a situation where the minimum number of parent and staff governors is one each - to think that these might disappear altogether is to see any local or parent involvement in schools disappear completely.

[rebeccariots2]

Jim Pickard ‏@PickardJE 47m47 minutes ago
Apparently Vince Cable is writing a book: all Lib Dems are writing a book.

That's a bit mean.

[Tubby Isaacs]

You couldn't make this up.

Two Inadequate free schools today.

But, look over there, an Outstanding one too. How good to see someone coming in and offering something the stale old public sector can't. Let me guess. Evangelicals? A charity set up by businessmen? Some parents energised by Gove?

Er....

The school is sponsored by Plymouth University, Cornwall College and Plymouth City Council

[rebeccariots2]

Sam Coates Times retweeted
Ben Webster ‏@bwebster135 11h11 hours ago
Is Defra hoping unredacted fracking impacts report will have less impact on hottest day of the year?

Sam Coates Times retweeted
Ben Webster ‏@bwebster135 5h5 hours ago
"Properties within 1-5mile radius of fracking operation may also incur an additional cost of insurance to cover losses in case of explosion"

Sam Coates Times retweeted
Ben Webster ‏@bwebster135 5h5 hours ago
Defra censored: "higher skilled jobs may be awarded to workers from outside
local area."

Sam Coates Times retweeted
Ben Webster ‏@bwebster135 5h5 hours ago
Defra censored: "House prices in close proximity to the drilling operations are likely to fall."

Sam Coates Times retweeted
Ben Webster ‏@bwebster135 5h5 hours ago
Bits from fracking report censored by Defra: "could lead to an increase in global GHG emissions"

Sam Coates Times retweeted
Ben Webster ‏@bwebster135 9h9 hours ago
Did Defra delay for 3 weeks complying with ICO order to publish unredacted fracking impacts report in case Lancs CC was influenced by it?

[55DegreesNorth]

Evening folks,
Biblical thunder & lightening, monsoon rain and 1cm hailstones here.

For people interested in education, here's a nice filleting of the clueless Nicky Morgan's latest burbling.
http://headguruteacher.com/2015/06/30/n ... -curvehttp

[HindleA]

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015 ... aste-price" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Price to be written on NHS-prescribed medicine costing more than £20

From next year, those medicines will also carry the words “funded by the UK taxpayer”


FFS.

[AngryAsWell]

Evening folks,
Biblical thunder & lightening, monsoon rain and 1cm hailstones here.

For people interested in education, here's a nice filleting of the clueless Nicky Morgan's latest burbling.
http://headguruteacher.com/2015/06/30/n ... -curvehttp

Coming over here now
Catch ya all tomorrow ... night all

[RogerOThornhill]

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015 ... aste-price

Price to be written on NHS-prescribed medicine costing more than £20

From next year, those medicines will also carry the words “funded by the UK taxpayer”


FFS.

"When you're being chronically ill, just think about how much you're costing hard working families"

[HindleA]

Fascist bastards.

[citizenJA]

P.S.
My husband is walking to the GP as I type
Cough won't go away

Sorry to hear that you and your husband are suffering from this hot weather, air pollution, high pollen levels, and then power-tools on top of it all. Hope that the doc was able to give him some treatment that will work. (Am reading from the beginning of page one so please forgive me if you've already posted an update to this!)

Thank you!
GP prescribed some antibiotics.
We've both had ice cream.
Life is good.
xx
cJA

[citizenJA]

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015 ... aste-price

Price to be written on NHS-prescribed medicine costing more than £20

From next year, those medicines will also carry the words “funded by the UK taxpayer”


FFS.

"When you're being chronically ill, just think about how much you're costing hard working families"

Shocking.

[citizenJA]

Evening folks,
Biblical thunder & lightening, monsoon rain and 1cm hailstones here.

For people interested in education, here's a nice filleting of the clueless Nicky Morgan's latest burbling.
http://headguruteacher.com/2015/06/30/n ... -curvehttp

Coming over here now
Catch ya all tomorrow ... night all

Goodnight, AAW

[Tubby Isaacs]

Cost of Jeremy Hunt's limo on the side please.

[citizenJA]

Evening folks,
Biblical thunder & lightening, monsoon rain and 1cm hailstones here.

For people interested in education, here's a nice filleting of the clueless Nicky Morgan's latest burbling.
http://headguruteacher.com/2015/06/30/n ... -curvehttp

Sounds wonderful.
I look forward to the deluge.

[RogerOThornhill]

I look forward to the deluge.

And before that happens you can listen to this...

[youtube]GqfDpNymGSE[/youtube]

[citizenJA]

“Europe is strong,” said Merkel.
“Much stronger than five years ago at the start of Europe’s debt crisis which originated in Greece.”

http://www.theguardian.com/business/201 ... ts-germany" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

She's made a terrible mistake if this is an accurate translation of what she said today.
Europe's debt crisis didn't originate in Greece.
That's an irresponsible, horrible thing for her to have said.
The commentary below the line on this & other threads regarding Greece is vile.

I'm sorry.
I've got to get some sleep now.
Love.
We must love one another.
There's nothing else.
I can't help or communicate with someone in a rage & determined to stay there.
love
cJA